Having just lunched with an old college friend who lives in suburban
Cincinnati, I am aware that suburban life and I are like oil and water.
Though I covet her ownership of a three car garage, and unlimited access
to parking at the local drugstore, I am aware that I would be "voted off
the island" should I attempt such a suburban based living arrangement.
But I don't think the same thing can be said about her-should she and
her family attempt to live in a large east coast city like Philadelphia.
I find city living is more of a notion, an idea, a concept that can be
easily grasp by most. Almost a state of mind. An idea in which most
would relish the idea of being middle aged without ever owning a lawn
mower, a garage, or enough storage space to really stock up on an eight
count roll of paper towels. Living with a "Granny Cart" which I use for
grocery shopping is a concept I think most folks could handle. The idea
of walking to work, having access to hundreds of premier restaurants,
and jumping in taxi cabs from time to time is a practice that I do think
would be acceptable to most folks.
Most reluctance to city living I find is based on fear. And fear of the
unknown. The notion that ALL the boogey-men and bad people resides
within the city limits is prevalent amongst our suburban friends. Also,
the fear of change and of adapting to a lifestyle with no dining room
hutch, no spare third or fourth bedroom actually does worry a lot of
folks. Crime is higher in your big cities than your quiet little towns
dotting the outside of say Philadelphia, and downsizing into a 1400
square foot condominium is enough to cause panic attacks amongst even
the most stable human beings on this side of the equator. But break-ins
and home invasions occur inside
high-rise Philadelphia condos about as often as cows actually jump
over the moon. Not often. And most (empty-nesters anyway) will tell you
that fitting into 1400 square feet without all the encumbrances of
suburban life is actually a task that they are worthy of achieving. And
if you didn't (by some odd chance) like living in the city, suburbanites
could always move back to where they came from. I don't recall any laws
preventing city dwellers from becoming suburbanites.
I adhere to the old saying I once heard that Philadelphia is not as bad
as Philadelphians say that it is. Our city has come a long way in the
past few decades, and I encourage those considering a move to try out
way of life. And we promise not to vote you or any of your friends off
our island.
